Most of us would say that we had faith. But press us on what we mean, and suddenly it becomes a rather vague and theoretical concept for many of us. "I believe in God" would be the entirety of it for some. For others, it's simply how they go about their day; "you just gotta have faith...". With a little digging, many of us find that our faith is merely a background wish for things to work out, and that wish is rooted in a loose thought that there may be a higher power that honors these wishes. This faith may always be in the background and have some biblical vocabulary involved, but what bothers us abut it is that it's not real.
If we are following Jesus, what is the reality of our faith?
Thaw
- What's the biggest risk you have ever taken?
- What's the biggest risk you've never taken?
- What really stuck with you from the message Sunday?
- What other thoughts did it create for you?
Read
Gen 12:1-3
Hebrews 11:1-13
- Thoughts?
Leader note: Gen 12:1-3 cannot be understated; this is the initiation of the Hebrew people, Israel, to bring about redemption for the whole planet. This is the promise that God has made ( count the "I will's!) and that he will fulfill in Christ. If we don't grasp the importance of this passage and this promise playing itself out through God's people, then Christian faith won't make sense.
Hebrews 11:1 in The King James Version (KJV) reads, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." It helps us see that the thrust of this passage is about faith being the thing that's tangible, even in light of the object of this faith isn't. People "see God" by their ability to see our faith. Our faith is the substance when God doesn't seem to have any.
You may also see that verse 6 appears to say that all God wants is for us to believe he exists and He doles out rewards. This isn't much different than a Genie, if you think about it. But, the actual, literal phrasing in Greek reads that we must "believe that He is". This may harken back to the name of God, the great "I Am". This goes well beyond believing generally in God. This is putting our confidence in the I Am of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Additionally, seeking this God brings reward, but those rewards will be in keeping with the I Am, the abundant life as Jesus speaks of in John 10:10. Not just a granter of wishes, seeking the I Am gives you the life He intended for you from the beginning.
- What does verse 13 mean?
- How do you still have faith when what was promised came to be in your lifetime?
- Why would someone be willing to live their life according to God's promise, so much so that it makes them unlike any one else (aliens and strangers), even though future generations will be the first to benefit? Why would someone not be willing?
- What does it mean to have a faith that is contingent on results?
- How is this faith unlike biblical faith?
Leader note: Go back to Hebrews 11 and read verse 39 and 40, the last verses. It may be worth noting that their life of faith and orienting their whole existence around obeying and trusting God and His way didn't "pay off" in the sense of the promise being fulfilled. But, their faith is "commendable" because of what it provides the author of Hebrews, and us as well. Faith, like everything else for our God, is an exercise in providing something real for others, and THEN ourselves in the process.
Read
- Psalm 100
- Thoughts?
- In Psalm 100, as in dozens of other passages, God's faithfulness is what's highlighted and celebrated. What is God being faithful to?
Leader note: Reference Gen 12 again if needed!
- Is it possible to have little or nothing go as you wanted in your life, having hoped and prayed that it would, and still be assured that God is faithful? Explain.
- What are the implications of faith that produces what God is after, more than what would make our own circumstances better?
- When it comes to telling others about our faith, what is the difference between biblical faith and faith in a higher power that may or may not do what we want?
Apply
- How does your life change when you go from merely believing that it's true that there is a God, to entrusting that He is moving His story and promise forward through you?
- How will this affect prayer? Career choices? How you see your marriage, or who you choose to marry? How you see your singleness?
- How does God being faithful to His promise to the world affect what your LifeGroup is planning, as individuals and as a body?
Additional reading
- Habakkuk 3:17-18
- Heb 12:1-3
- Romans 3:21-26
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